Sample Letter

Date

The Honorable Jerry Brown Governor of California State Capitol Building Sacramento, CA 95814

Dear Governor Brown:

Personalize the message. Begin by introducing yourself, tell a little about yourself
and your affiliation with SJSU. Talk about what applies directly to you, what field
are you in (industries that rely on CSU graduates: nursing, business, agriculture,
life sciences, education, public administration and criminal justice).

The proposed budget cuts to the CSU will affect all Californians. At this crucial
economic juncture, reducing funding to the CSU can only harm its mission of producing
a highly skilled workforce for our state.

I believe this is the wrong direction for the state to go; cuts to the CSU will only
make the economy more stagnant and reduce our ability to remain competitive in our
global marketplace.

1) For every dollar the state invests into the CSU, $4.41 is generated in economic
activity. 2) With these cuts, many eligible students are being turned away. 3) The CSU plays a major role in the state’s workforce, graduating 90,000 students
each year, including 87 percent of education graduates, 64 percent of nurses, 65 percent
of business professionals, 82 percent of those involved in public administration,
and more than half of the state’s graduates in agriculture-related fields. 4) Cuts to the CSU mean a loss to the economy.

Given the significant impact the CSU has on the future of California’s workforce and
economy, it is critical that you restore the budget cuts to the CSU. California’s
future depends on the CSU. I look forward to hearing your response to this matter.